US General: Russian Withdrawal from Georgia 'Too Slow'

A top United States general says Russia's withdrawal from Georgia is "far too little and far too slow."

U.S. General John Craddock, NATO's supreme allied commander, told reporters in Tiblisi Friday that the Russian troops are leaving Georgia at "a snail's pace."

Media reports Friday say there has been little movement from Russian positions in various Georgian cities and towns. The top commander of Russia's land forces, General Vladimir Boldyrev, said Thursday his forces will need about 10 days to complete their withdrawal from Georgia.

He said some troops will need more time to comply with the withdrawal because they are helping to open peacekeeper checkpoints in a security zone around Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia.  

Russian President Dmitri Medvedev has promised to withdraw troops into South Ossetia Friday.  

Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov reiterated that timetable Thursday.

U.S. President George Bush told Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili Thursday that the United States is looking for Russia to comply with the agreement to withdraw and to end what Mr. Bush called Russia's "siege" of Georgia.  

White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said Mr. Saakashvili initiated the phone call to update Mr. Bush on the situation in his country.

Western correspondents in South Ossetia have reported some movement of Russian military toward the Russian border.  But some reports say Russian forces continue blocking Georgia's Black Sea port of Poti.  

The Georgian move into South Ossetia earlier this month triggered a massive Russian military response, with Moscow sending scores of tanks and thousands of troops into Georgia.